Final Project Part I: Intro to the Mill Museum

The Windham Textile and History Museum (The Mill Museum of Connecticut)

The Mill Museum is actually a complex of buildings and neighborhood, comprised of the old headquarters of the American Thread Company (which is the main museum building) and the next door Dugan Mill, both of which are across the street from the renovated mills (now apartments, office and art gallery space) and Willimantic River. There is a river walk with historical markers about the role of the river in the history of Willimantic and the textile mills.

"Our Mission:The Windham Textile and History Museum (The Mill Museum of Connecticut), located in the historic former headquarters of the American Thread Company of Willimantic, Connecticut, is a non-profit educational institution housing a museum, a library, and an archive. Through its exhibits, programs, and collections, the museum preserves and interprets the history of textiles, textile arts and the textile industry, with special emphasis on the experiences of the craftspeople, industrial workers, manufacturers, inventors, designers, and consumers. The museum also promotes greater understanding of major trends and changes in technology, economy, immigration, society, environment, and culture that shaped Connecticut, New England, and the United States from the colonial period to the present." (from the website)

From left to right: Dugan Mill, Main museum building, renovated mills

The three floors of the main building house the Linen Company Store/Giftshop, most of the exhibition space, the library and archives. You enter on the first floor, where a staff person sits and welcomes visitors (and who happened to also be quilting when I visited). The first floor also offers the "special exhibit" of the year, held in the Bev York Exhibit Room; this year's theme is "Irish Eyes: The Irish Experience in a Connecticut Mill Town." 

Two views of the special exhibit "Irish Eyes" in the Bev York Exhibit Room

The second floor is a reconstruction of a mill manager's and mill worker's home, set across the "street" from each other on Thread Mill Square. This floor also holds the Company Office and the Brooke Shannon Antique Sewing Machine Room, which is unfortunately at this point filled to beyond capacity.

The third floor is where the Dunham Hall Library and archive are located, and also where maps and artwork are on display or available for viewing.

The Dunham Hall Library, Willimantic's first library

The other museum building, Dugan Mill, is a reconstruction of a textile factory floor, displaying equipment from the 1890s to the 1950s. There are corners dedicated to the American Thread Company's Print Shop and the Overseer's Office. 

One side of the Dugan Mill

Print shop (left), Overseer's Office (right)

Besides covering the history of the textile industry, the Mill Museum also speaks to the migrant experience in a typical mill town via the population of Willimantic. In particular, the museum documents the Puerto Rican Experience and accommodates the local population by providing all written material in both English and Spanish.

Description outside the "Workers' House", with text in both English and Spanish. Many of the collections on display are accompanied by bilingual text and historical illustrations or advertisements related to the items or material.

The staff was friendly and helpful (even calling another off-duty volunteer to clarify a picture of Teddy Roosevelt on display upstairs!). The museum is obviously both a historical and social site, with activities ranging from regular "Hysterical Historicals"meetings (a local history group who uses and adds to the museum's archival material), to tours offered as part of the statewide "Mill of the Month" program or hosting in events leading up to Worldwide Knit in Public Day.

Current and upcoming events at the Mill Museum, and across the state, all related to local history and textiles.